Legendary Ranger
The legendary ranger is a new base class that may be used in Pathfinder campaigns, side-by-side with the existing ranger class. Members of this class can be considered regular rangers for purposes of prerequisites (though they may not meet other class features regular rangers would meet, such as specific class features), and the legendary ranger uses the same spell list as the regular ranger. Role: Legendary rangers are highly mobile strikers, able to fight in melee or at range. Their abilities allow them to concentrate their skills on a single target, destroying them completely while remaining effective against other enemies. Legendary Class: The legendary ranger takes many of the base elements of the ranger class and makes them more versatile (and less campaign dependent) while giving more flexibility in the character’s progression with a talent system similar to the rogue. Hunter’s Bond has also been expanded into a 1st level feature — Natural Gift — that can act as the central mechanic for the legendary ranger, depending on character build. Alignment: Any Hit Die: d10 Starting Wealth: 5d6 × 10 gp (average 175 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less. Class Skills: The legendary ranger’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str). Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Intelligence modifier. Class Features Weapon and Armor Proficiencies A legendary ranger is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields). Adaptive Learning (Ex) The legendary ranger doesn’t learn to be strong in every way. Instead, he learns to use his strengths in every way. This applies to learning as well, allowing the legendary ranger to master techniques he otherwise wouldn’t be able to. When choosing feats, if a feat requires a certain minimum ability score, the legendary ranger is considered to meet that requirement. He must still meet any other requirements.In addition, the legendary ranger counts his legendary ranger class levels as fighter levels for the purpose of qualifying for feats. If he has levels in fighter, these levels stack. Natural Gift The first rule of survival is to use what you have, and everyone has something. At 1st level, the legendary ranger cultivates one specific ability, which will be his greatest asset. Although he will continue to gain abilities in other areas, this will always be his strongest ability.The legendary ranger may choose one of the natural gifts listed in the natural gifts section. Once chosen, the gift cannot be changed. (Natural Gifts can be found here) Quarry (Ex) A legendary ranger’s most well-known ability is tracking creatures: detecting them, locating them, identifying them, and observing important details about them. These abilities come with the limitation that the legendary ranger must concentrate his attention on the target in order to do these things properly. So, the legendary ranger learns to focus his concentration and attention on one creature: his quarry. To make a creature his quarry, the legendary ranger must take a moment to gather his thoughts and visualize the creature in his mind. This means the legendary ranger must know enough about the creature to identify and describe them. Once per round as a free action, the legendary ranger can make anyone he remembers encountering and interacting with in for at least 10 minutes in the past 24 hours his quarry. If a legendary ranger is extremely familiar with someone, he can make them his quarry up to 1 year after encountering them. This includes anyone he has spent an extended period of time interacting with (at least 2 hours total). Even if the creature is not present, the legendary ranger can make them his quarry. If the legendary ranger meets a creature, he can study it so that he makes it his quarry immediately. A legendary ranger can make any creature his quarry if he can see them (or sense in a unique way, such as by using a form of blindsense) as a move action.Finally, a legendary ranger can also make a creature his quarry based on evidence of their presence, without even knowing exactly who they are. If a legendary ranger makes a successful Survival or Perception skill check to find tracks or other signs of a creature’s passage, he may make that creature his quarry as a standard action. If the legendary ranger fails, he may not try to quarry that creature again for 24 hours, unless he discovers tracks or other signs of passage at a different, unrelated location. A legendary ranger has several special abilities that relate to his quarry: * A legendary ranger is skilled in finding his quarry. When making Survival skill checks made to follow his quarry’s tracks, the legendary ranger adds half his class level (minimum 1) to his check and can move at his normal speed while using following tracks without taking the normal –5 penalty. He takes only a –10 penalty (instead of the normal –20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking. * When making Perception skill checks to locate his quarry (such as if the quarry is invisible or hiding), to confirm their identity (such as if the quarry is disguised), or to determine if something belongs to the quarry or was left behind by them, the legendary ranger adds 1/2 his level (minimum 1) to his check. * A legendary ranger may attempt to use a Knowledge check to identify the creature type of his quarry based on its tracks or evidence of their passage. * A legendary ranger may make a Perception skill check against his quarry’s Disguise or Bluff check (whichever is higher) to gain some information about its condition at the time they were present, just by looking at the quarry’s tracks. They may learn the following: whether the creature was badly injured (has less than half of its hit points), whether it had any conditions that affect its movement (such as blindness or a missing leg), or whether it was encumbered. The legendary ranger can also tell whether the quarry was running or walking. A quarry lasts until the legendary ranger chooses a different quarry. For the purpose of this ability, a troop or swarm is considered a single creature. Predation (Ex) When a legendary ranger attacks his quarry, his increased focus makes him even deadlier. The legendary ranger gains a +1 insight bonus to attack rolls against his quarry, and deals an additional 1d6 precision damage against them on all attacks. These bonuses increase by +1 and +1d6 respectively at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level. Wildspeak (Ex) A legendary ranger is skilled in speaking with creatures that are close to nature. He can speak with any creature with the animal or magical beast type or communicate with them as if he spoke their language if they don’t have one. In addition, he gains a bonus equal to half his class level (minimum 1) to his Diplomacy checks against such creatures when he attempts to influence their attitude.As a legendary ranger grows more experienced, he learns to do this with more exotic creatures. At 5th level, he may use this ability with any creature of the monstrous humanoid or fey types, at 9th level, he may use this ability with vermin and plants, at 13th level, he may use this ability with elementals and oozes. At 17th level, he may speak with the earth itself, communicating with rocks, rivers, and soil as if it were intelligent. For this purpose, treat each 30-foot by 30-foot section of earth as a separate intelligent creature, unless an obvious physical landmark is larger than that, with an alignment and temperament befitting that sort of terrain. The earth is aware of what has happened to it and has some understanding of events that have occurred in its presence (though it doesn’t speak common languages). Ranger Talents (Ex) Beginning at 2nd level, the legendary ranger may gain ranger talents. He gains one at 2nd level and additional talent every even level thereafter. Some talents require the legendary ranger to have a minimum class level, while others interact with specific class features. If the does not have a specific class feature (either by being of insufficient level or by trading that feature away by an archetype) he cannot gain that talent. Some natural gifts add additional choices to the list of talents a legendary ranger may choose from, and some archetypes do so as well. (Ranger talents can be found here) Relentless Stride At 3rd level, the legendary ranger learns to move more effectively in different environments. When he succeeds on a Climb check, he may move his full speed without penalty, or he may move half his speed while continuing to use a shield. He may also move his full speed when he succeeds on a Swim check, and he may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment, and is not affected by tripping effects caused by slick or icy surfaces, magical or otherwise. At 7th level, the legendary ranger has an incredible lightness to his step. Provided he starts his turn on normal ground, he can move on any surface as if it were the ground, like walls and ceilings. He falls if his movement ends or he falls prone. As a swift action, he may make a Climb skill check to use a hand to cling to the surface he has walked on this way. He can also walk across water without sinking or taking damage but sinks normally if he stops his movement or falls prone. He cannot begin his movement on water. Improved Quarry (Ex) As a legendary ranger becomes more skilled at hunting, he learns to make creatures his quarry with greater efficiency. Charging Focus: At 3rd level, the legendary ranger may quarry a creature as a move action and move towards that creature (or direct his mount to move towards that creature) as part of the same move action. He may quarry as part of a charge. Sudden Focus: At 7th level, the legendary ranger may quarry a creature he can see as a swift action. Perceptive Focus: At 11th level, the legendary ranger may make creatures his quarry even if he cannot see them, provided he knows they are present by making a Perception skill check vs the creature’s Stealth, Disguise or Bluff check (as appropriate). This is a move action and can be part of the same action used to find the creature. Instant Focus: At 15th level, the legendary ranger may make any creature that attacks him his quarry as an immediate action. Close Focus: At 19th level, the legendary ranger may make an adjacent creature he can see his quarry as a free action. Spells Beginning at 4th level, a legendary ranger gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells, which are drawn from the ranger spell list. A legendary ranger must choose and prepare his spells in advance. To prepare or cast a spell, a legendary ranger must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a legendary ranger’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the legendary ranger’s Wisdom modifier. Like other spell casters, a legendary ranger can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Legendary Ranger. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells). When Table: Legendary Ranger indicates that the legendary ranger gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Wisdom score for that spell level. A legendary ranger must spend 1 hour per day in quiet meditation to regain his daily allotment of spells. A legendary ranger may prepare and cast any spell on the ranger spell list, provided he can cast spells of that level, but he must choose which spells to prepare during his daily meditation. Through 3rd level, a legendary ranger has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, his caster level is equal to his legendary ranger level. Hunter’s Edge (Ex) At 5th level, a legendary ranger has mastered a single skill beyond that skill’s normal boundaries, gaining a level of ability few can match. He may choose a skill from the legendary ranger’s list of class skills. He gains the skill unlock powers for that skill as appropriate for his number of ranks in that skill. At 10th, 15th, and 20th level, he chooses an additional skill from the legendary ranger’s list of class skills and gains skill unlock powers for that skill as well. Covert Nature (Ex) A legendary ranger of 7th level or higher can use the Stealth skill even while being observed and without needing cover or concealment. The legendary ranger normally leaves no trail and cannot be tracked (though he may leave a trail if he so chooses). At 11th level, the legendary ranger learns to apply common materials to his clothing to remove odors while remaining downwind of enemies. He can apply his Stealth skill to avoid being detected by scent (though he still can be tracked by it). He also learns special techniques to disguise himself from blindsight and blindsense, as well as any other senses, so that he may always make a Stealth skill to avoid being detected. He cannot do this while talking or using spells with verbal components. Evasion (Ex) At 11th level, a legendary ranger can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the legendary ranger is not wearing heavy armor. A helpless legendary ranger does not gain the benefit of evasion. At 15th level, the legendary ranger gains improved evasion and takes half damage even if he fails his Reflex saving throw. Stillsense (Ex) At 15th level, a legendary ranger becomes skilled in noticing tiny vibrations, shifts in air currents (or water currents, if underwater), and tiny movements across surfaces from changes in pressure. This works as a form of blindsight with a range of 30 feet that only detects creatures and objects that have moved (such as by attacking, changing location, casting a spell with somatic components, or making a skill check using Strength or Dexterity) within the past round. A creature that stops moving does not instantly become invisible to this sense; they are still noticeable until the air around them has stopped moving, which doesn’t happen until the end of their next turn. Creatures that are completely intangible are naturally invisible to this sense. This ability is not impeded if the legendary ranger is deafened in any way but does stop functioning if there is no air. Winds greater than 30mph can create blind spots downwind of the legendary ranger. This sense works continuously, and the legendary ranger may spend his move action to concentrate on the ability, doubling the range until the beginning of his next turn. This draws attacks of opportunity from adjacent enemies. At 19th level, the range on this sense doubles to 60 feet. Perfect Survivor (Ex) At 19th level, a legendary ranger becomes able to survive almost anywhere. The legendary ranger becomes immune to nonlethal damage as well as all forms of poison and disease. In addition, he may spend a swift action to focus his force of will, granting himself 20 temporary hit points. The temporary hit points last for 24 hours. These temporary hit points do not stack with themselves or other temporary hit points. Apex Predator (ex) A legendary ranger of 20th level reaches the top of the food chain. Whenever he attacks his quarry and misses with a roll that is not a natural 1, he hits his quarry, but the damage is halved. New Favored Class Bonuses The following favored class bonuses are open to all characters, regardless of race: * Any: Gain 1/6 of a new legendary ranger talent. * Any: Reduce secondary natural weapon attack penalties on your natural weapons by ¼ * Any: Gain 1/3 of a new class skill. * Any: Add +1/5 to the legendary ranger’s predation attack bonus. * Any: Add +1/2 to the legendary ranger’s predation bonus damage. * Any: Gain +1/2 bonus on Intimidate skill checks to demoralize. * Any: Gain +1/2 bonus on Diplomacy checks made to influence animals, magical beasts and fey. * Any: Add +1 hit point and +1 skill rank to the legendary ranger’s animal companion. If the legendary ranger ever replaces his animal companion, the new companion gains these bonus hit points and skill ranks. Archetypes Category:Source: Legendary Ranger